Prasnottara Ratna Malika literally means "The Necklace of Gem-like Questions". This text is one among the many works by Jagadguru Adi Shankara Acharya, great teacher and reformer of Hinduism. The historical period of Adi Shankara's life is controversial, as conventional academics (that believe it was between 788 and 820 C.E.) place is after the life of Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha and the spreading of Buddhism in India - the only factor of historical certainty, as the preaching mission of Adi Shankara was precisely directed to answer the criticism of Siddhartha Gautama's successors towards Vedic tradition. According to the records of the Indian Shankara Mathas, on the other hand, the period is established between the 509 and the 477 B.C.E. Some Puranas and other ancient scriptures contain references to Adi Shankara as an incarnation of Shiva and Surya; certainly the extent of his preaching work in defense of Dharma and Vedic knowledge reveals an extremely powerful divine personality. The poetic image of the precious necklace of gems is meant to illustrate the wonderful qualities of this collection of questions and answers, that brings us directly in contact with the great Adi Shankara and his deep wisdom, just as if we were sitting in front of him in the ancient tradition of direct relationship between guru and disciple. These teachings are compared to precious gems for their richness and value, brilliance and inalterability, and also for the beneficial influence on the lives of those who will honor them by keeping them constantly close to their hearts. Some of the questions: who is a Guru, what is Dharma, what is God, what brings happiness, what is charity, what is wealth, what are the four forms of good fortune, which place we should avoid. Also discussed are the topics of fear and courage, family life, Bhakti and knowledge, and the relationship between Vishnu and Shiva. This book is the English translation of the original text consisting of 67 Sanskrit verses, compiled on the suggestion of the then yuvacharya of Kanchi, Sri Vijayendra Sarasvati, in the meeting at the Kanchi Matha, on 11 January 1993. It has the original devanagari verses, with transliteration, translation and brief commentaries including various quotes from other fundamental texts, elaborating on the most important and meaningful questions and answers for the spiritual and material benefit of all human beings, through a simple and easily understandable language, in a form that helps us to apply the same sublime knowledge to our daily lives.

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Mataji Parama Karuna Devi is the founder and director of the Jagannatha Vallabha Vedic Research Center, an Institute for the preservation and the propagation of Vedic knowledge in India and at global level. A sannyasini, a writer, a teacher and a social worker, she has been studying and practicing Vedic philosophy and sadhana since 1970. In 1978 she moved into an ashram to engage exclusively in the study and practice of Vedic spirituality. She has actively worked at the translation and publication of the literary works of the founder or the movement, as well as at the personal service of the Deities in the temple and in preaching especially through radio programs at Radio Krishna Centrale. Subsequently, she traveled around the Indian subcontinent, from the Himalayan foothills to the extreme south, visiting Vrindavana, Mathura, Dvaraka, Gujarat and Rajasthan, Herakhan, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayaga, Calcutta, West Bengal, Tripura, Manipur, Orissa and especially Jagannatha Puri, Tirupati, Kanchipuram and Tamil Nadu, Madras, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Trishur, Udupi, Guruvayur, Mangalore, Bangalore and Bombay. In a cultural and spiritual full immersion, she lived as a local person among the local people, attending the traditional Hindu temples and meeting many extraordinary personalities at a very high level in the religious field. In 1994 she moved to Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, where she establishes the Jagannatha Vallabha Vedic Research Center. In 1996 she is appointed as member of the Organizing Committee for the Gopala Utsava at the orthodox Hindu temple of Sakshi Gopala, and subsequently she is invited to many conferences, congresses and other cultural and academic events, by Bharatiya Itihasa Sankalana Samiti, Academy of Yoga and Oriental Studies, Utkala University, Jagannatha Sanskrit Vidyalaya andKarma Kanda Vedic Gurukula. After the tutelage of Bhagavan Mishra (deula purohita of Sri Jagannatha Puri Mandir), Jagannatha Mahapatra (mukti mandapa brahmana ofl Sri Jagannatha Puri Mandir) and other prominent personalities of the orthodox Hindu community in Puri, she enters the traditional purification ceremonies called suddhi, prayaschitta, vratyastoma and diksha, which officialize her affiliation to orthodox Vedic Hinduism. She has translated and compiled many religious and spiritual texts, regularly publishes articles and discussions on Internet and corresponds with her students from various nationalities.